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If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
John 13:17 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
  • KJV If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
  • NKJV If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
  • NASB If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
  • NLT Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus says they are blessed if they not only know these things but do them. It ties true blessing to obedient practice, not mere understanding.

Overview

Knowledge alone is insufficient; the blessing belongs to those who put Christ's example into practice. This echoes the biblical theme that hearers must be doers (cf. Jas 1:22). The verse calls believers to a faith that works itself out in humble, loving action.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • Luke 11:28But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
  • Jas 4:17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
  • Jas 1:25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
  • Matt 7:24–25Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
  • Exod 40:16Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.
  • Luke 12:47–48That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.
  • Ezek 36:27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
  • Rev 22:14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
  • Ps 19:11By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.
  • Jas 2:20–24O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
  • Ps 119:1–5Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD.
  • Heb 11:7–8By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
  • Gal 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
  • Gen 6:22So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.
  • Matt 12:50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
  • John 15:14You are My friends if you do what I command you.
  • 2 Cor 5:14–15For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died.
  • Matt 22:38–41This is the first and greatest commandment.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 13:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 13:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.